Impossiblehttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/impossible
en-usFri, 18 Aug 2017 02:12:22 -0400Fri, 18 Aug 2017 02:12:22 -0400The latest news on Impossible from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-6-words-that-are-holding-you-back-2014-6The 6 Words That Are Holding You Backhttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-6-words-that-are-holding-you-back-2014-6
Sat, 07 Jun 2014 12:00:00 -0400Lindsay Broder
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/538f66feecad04b85492f051-480-/work-employee-man.jpg" border="0" alt="work, employee, man" width="480" /></p><p>It's no secret that words have power. For example, you probably wouldn't say to a potential vendor, "I'm not hiring you because your product sucks." Instead, you might say, "I don't think your offering is the right fit for us at this time." There is a big difference in how the recipient of that information hears the first one over how he hears the second, and, as professionals and decent human beings, we are sensitive to that.</p>
<p>So it's curious why we use damaging words when we're talking about our own ability or about our willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve our goals. When talking about ourselves, we tend to use words that diminish our ability and our belief in our capability. The impact these words have on the confidence others have in us is bad enough. It's worse that they affect the decisions we make and the actions we take.</p>
<p>The words we use, even if only in our head, say a lot about our attitude, and attitude is everything. In business, there are some things that are seemingly out of our control, like waiting for a potential client to pull the trigger for hiring us or for our bosses to finally deliver on that well-deserved promotion. But we can control the words we use, both spoken and unspoken, and in turn control our attitude. If your attitude about a situation is negative, then the words you use about the situation will also be and the likelihood of your actions and decision making around that situation will be in kind. And if the words you use have a negative or limiting connotation, even if our attitude is positive, those negative words can actually change our attitude in an adverse way.</p>
<p><strong>Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233907">What Lessons You Should Learn When You Fire Someone</a></strong></p>
<p>Watch out for these:</p>
<p><strong>Should/Shouldn't. &nbsp;</strong>People are always telling us what we should or shouldn't do and we actually do the same thing to ourselves. The reality is, there is nothing you should or shouldn't do. What matters is what the right thing to do is and what you're willing to or want to do. When you say you should or shouldn't do something, you are making a value judgment about it, but that doesn't always mean you are making the right choice. Do the right thing. Always.</p>
<p><strong>Have to.&nbsp;</strong>Let's get one thing straight right now. There are very few things you HAVE TO do in life and breathing is one of them. Anything you do because you HAVE TO is nothing more than your choice to do so because the alternative or the repercussions are not worth not doing it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Can/Can't.&nbsp;</strong>You can? Great. But the question is, will you? The word 'can' is seemingly innocuous, but actually has a negative connotation. Think about it. Pick something you say you can do. Perhaps that's "I can land that client" or "I can get funding for my business." Now change the word from "can" to "will." Some say this is semantics but there is a big difference in how you think about the situation when you say you will versus saying you can. Can is not a definite but instead a possibility without action. There is nothing in can that says you will.</p>
<p><strong>Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233589">How to Remain Relevant in Your Shrinking Industry</a></strong></p>
<p>"Can't," on the other hand, is a copout. When you say you can't, you are saying there is no way or that you're not capable. Wrong. What you're really saying when you say "I can't" is "I won't." Own that and stop saying what that you can't do something because, in truth, you CAN do anything you want to, and you WILL do what you want to do.</p>
<p><strong>Impossible.</strong>&nbsp;And speaking of "can't," can you imagine if the Wright Brothers said flying was impossible? (Well, the Wright Brothers weren't the first to fly, it was actually German-born, Gustave Whitehead.) But no matter who is credited, someone had to believe it was possible for it to be done. Once you convince yourself that something is possible, the rest is about finding a way and then taking action. Sure, you might fail many times before you find success, but saying that something is impossible makes it so. There has to be at least a small part of you that believes it is possible before you can make anything happen.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you want to get out of your own way and stop holding yourself back, take action now. Start by watching out for how often the following six words creep into your thoughts and verbal communication. Consider whether or not the sentence containing these words is really the truth. Call yourself out, and then find a better way to think (or say) what you really mean.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kind-ceo-refuses-to-use-the-b-word-2014-6" >Why One CEO Refuses To Use The 'B-Word'</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-6-words-that-are-holding-you-back-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/the-6-words-that-are-holding-you-back-2014-6The 6 Words That Are Holding You Backhttp://www.businessinsider.com/the-6-words-that-are-holding-you-back-2014-6
Wed, 04 Jun 2014 14:37:48 -0400Lindsay Broder
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/538f66feecad04b85492f051-480-/work-employee-man.jpg" border="0" alt="work, employee, man" width="480" /></p><p>It's no secret that words have power. For example, you probably wouldn't say to a potential vendor, "I'm not hiring you because your product sucks." Instead, you might say, "I don't think your offering is the right fit for us at this time." There is a big difference in how the recipient of that information hears the first one over how he hears the second, and, as professionals and decent human beings, we are sensitive to that.</p>
<p>So it's curious why we use damaging words when we're talking about our own ability or about our willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve our goals. When talking about ourselves, we tend to use words that diminish our ability and our belief in our capability. The impact these words have on the confidence others have in us is bad enough. It's worse that they affect the decisions we make and the actions we take.</p>
<p>The words we use, even if only in our head, say a lot about our attitude, and attitude is everything. In business, there are some things that are seemingly out of our control, like waiting for a potential client to pull the trigger for hiring us or for our bosses to finally deliver on that well-deserved promotion. But we can control the words we use, both spoken and unspoken, and in turn control our attitude. If your attitude about a situation is negative, then the words you use about the situation will also be and the likelihood of your actions and decision making around that situation will be in kind. And if the words you use have a negative or limiting connotation, even if our attitude is positive, those negative words can actually change our attitude in an adverse way.</p>
<p><strong>Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233907">What Lessons You Should Learn When You Fire Someone</a></strong></p>
<p>Watch out for these:</p>
<p><strong>Should/Shouldn't. &nbsp;</strong>People are always telling us what we should or shouldn't do and we actually do the same thing to ourselves. The reality is, there is nothing you should or shouldn't do. What matters is what the right thing to do is and what you're willing to or want to do. When you say you should or shouldn't do something, you are making a value judgment about it, but that doesn't always mean you are making the right choice. Do the right thing. Always.</p>
<p><strong>Have to.&nbsp;</strong>Let's get one thing straight right now. There are very few things you HAVE TO do in life and breathing is one of them. Anything you do because you HAVE TO is nothing more than your choice to do so because the alternative or the repercussions are not worth not doing it.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Can/Can't.&nbsp;</strong>You can? Great. But the question is, will you? The word 'can' is seemingly innocuous, but actually has a negative connotation. Think about it. Pick something you say you can do. Perhaps that's "I can land that client" or "I can get funding for my business." Now change the word from "can" to "will." Some say this is semantics but there is a big difference in how you think about the situation when you say you will versus saying you can. Can is not a definite but instead a possibility without action. There is nothing in can that says you will.</p>
<p><strong>Related:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233589">How to Remain Relevant in Your Shrinking Industry</a></strong></p>
<p>"Can't," on the other hand, is a copout. When you say you can't, you are saying there is no way or that you're not capable. Wrong. What you're really saying when you say "I can't" is "I won't." Own that and stop saying what that you can't do something because, in truth, you CAN do anything you want to, and you WILL do what you want to do.</p>
<p><strong>Impossible.</strong>&nbsp;And speaking of "can't," can you imagine if the Wright Brothers said flying was impossible? (Well, the Wright Brothers weren't the first to fly, it was actually German-born, Gustave Whitehead.) But no matter who is credited, someone had to believe it was possible for it to be done. Once you convince yourself that something is possible, the rest is about finding a way and then taking action. Sure, you might fail many times before you find success, but saying that something is impossible makes it so. There has to be at least a small part of you that believes it is possible before you can make anything happen.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you want to get out of your own way and stop holding yourself back, take action now. Start by watching out for how often the following six words creep into your thoughts and verbal communication. Consider whether or not the sentence containing these words is really the truth. Call yourself out, and then find a better way to think (or say) what you really mean.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kind-ceo-refuses-to-use-the-b-word-2014-6" >Why One CEO Refuses To Use The 'B-Word'</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-6-words-that-are-holding-you-back-2014-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/pacific-rim-not-scientifically-possible-2013-7'Pacific Rim' Is An Engineer's Worst Nightmare http://www.businessinsider.com/pacific-rim-not-scientifically-possible-2013-7
Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:08:00 -0400JJ Duncan
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/51e6faebeab8ea857b000000-480-/screen%20shot%202013-07-17%20at%204.08.03%20pm.png" border="0" alt="Pacific Rim Schematic 1" width="480" /></p><p>The scale of <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/Pacific+Rim">Pacific Rim</a> is overwhelming. Giant monsters fight giant robots while being slammed with waves that appear to be hundreds of feet high. The combatants trample their way through major cities, while doing things like using an oil tanker as a baseball bat! When you see something like that, your brain tells you two things. First, this is awesome. Second, there's no way that's possible.<br /><br />Confronted with these two thoughts, you can either suspend your disbelief and sit tight for what is most assuredly a very fun ride, or you can delve headlong into exactly why some of the things are possible and some of the things aren't. This is an exercise in the latter.<br /><br />To assist in this exercise I reached out to a real-life mechanical engineer, my college roommate, Eddie Fishel, who seemed to ALWAYS be doing math whenever I wanted to do shots, but that's the difference between studying thermodynamics and studying journalism. Today he&nbsp;designs construction equipment like skid steer loaders for Case New Holland.<br /><br />First, a word about the Jaegers just to give you a general sense of the scale, and the logistics of these things. In Pacific Rim, each country takes its defense in its own hands, each building a giant robot, or Jaeger, piloted by two soldiers tasked with fighting city-destroying monsters that have emerged from some inter-dimensional rift deep in the ocean. Much of the fighting takes place in or very near the water. They occasionally fight underwater. According to a blueprint released by Warner Bros as promotional material for Pacific Rim, the U.S. Jaeger Gipsy Danger stands 288 feet tall, and weighs 7,080 tons. This might help you get a sense of its size.<br /><br /><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/51e6fb206bb3f7477900000f-620-382/screen shot 2013-07-17 at 4.08.06 pm.png" border="0" alt="Pacific Rim Schematic 2" /><br /><br />Gipsy Danger houses a nuclear reactor in its chest that is the source of most of its power, and is articulated by a complex system of hydraulic "muscle strands" that are each powered by a series of engine blocks. The reactor is cooled by seawater taken on through vents in the Jaeger's feet.<br /><br />What follows are the thoughts of a real-life engineer when faced with this information.</p>
<p><strong>1. Lifting an Arm Is a BIG Challenge</strong></p>
<p><br />The Jaegers look incredible when they're throwing punches against a kaiju (the film's giant monsters), but just lifting one of those colossal arms would take an incredible amount of power. According to Fishel, "No current technology exists that would even hold the robot's arm up parallel with the ground. It wouldn't be able to move it."<br /><br />I asked Fishel to help me calculate the amount of torque required to lift one of those arms (you know, assuming it's possible). He goes into some math at this point, but here's the breakdown.<br /><br />Step 1: Calculate Arm Length (Based on human proportions)<br /><br /></p>
<ol>
<li>Arm length &asymp; 40% of height</li>
<li>288 &bull; 0.4 = 115.2 ft</li>
</ol>
<p><br />Step 2: Calculate Arm Weight<br /><br /></p>
<ol>
<li>Arm weight is &asymp; 6% of total body weight in humans, but let's assume these robots pack a little more punch, and arm weight is &asymp; 10% of total body weight.</li>
<li>7,080 tons &bull; 0.1 = 708 tons, or 1,416,000 pounds</li>
</ol>
<p><br />Step 3: Calculate Torque Required to Lift Arm from Shoulder<br /><br /></p>
<ol>
<li>Assuming the arm has a uniform mass, the torque required to hold the arm up is equal to the weight acting at the center, multipled by the distance to the center. From here, let's say Torque=T. Here's how the equation looks given what we've just figured out.</li>
<li>T=(115.2/2) &bull; 1,416,000 = 81,561,600 lb-ft</li>
</ol>
<p><br />That's a LOT of torque. This might help you understand it.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51e6fb4aecad047d64000018-596-612/screen shot 2013-07-17 at 4.08.13 pm.png" border="0" alt="Pacific Rim Schematic 3" /></p>
<p><br />Fishel points out that the Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest car, produces 922 lb-ft of torque. He also says the world's largest hydraulic motor produces 1,290,734 lb-ft.<br /><br />"You would need 88,461 Bugattis or a little over 63 of the hydraulic motors just to hold the robot arm straight out at the shoulder," he says.<br /><br /> So hopefully if Earth is attacked by giant monsters it will be after we've figured out how to create a power supply and an engine capable of generating way more power than our current technology can provide. Otherwise, the battle might be over before it begins.</p>
<p><strong>2. They'd Have a Hard Time in the Ocean</strong><br /><br />"Average ocean depth is 2.65 miles (14,000 feet), so these things would have to stay near shore, or be fully submersible. Engines need air and fuel to run, so if it's running engines to power the hydraulics for 'muscles' it can't go underwater unless it has massive air and gasoline/diesel storage tanks. Then consider the corrosion affects of saltwater, there are some processes that treat metal to be corrosion resistant for 500 hours in salt spray testing. But as anyone who's shipped metal that's not treated from China knows, it's covered in rust when it hits the port.<br /><br />"Anyone who's stepped in mud can also attest that it doesn't support much weight, so I'm pretty sure these things would sink into the bottom of the ocean and crumble the concrete they stand on. Jumping and running or walking obviously increases the pressure too."<br /><br />That last point about the ocean floor is especially pertinent if you factor in the steep drop-offs near some coasts. For instance, near the Golden Gate Bridge, which is seen being obliterated in the trailer for the movie. Near the pylons of the bridge, the depth is probably only about 10 or 15 feet depending on the tide, but if you pass one you'll quickly find yourself in the deepest part of the San Francisco Bay, with the floor up to 377 feet below the surface.<br /><br /><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/51e6fbad6bb3f74479000008-626-264/screen shot 2013-07-17 at 4.08.23 pm.png" border="0" alt="Pacific Rim Schematic 4" /><br /><br />If a Jaeger found itself on one of these inclines, the soft soil under the water, which is constantly being churned by the strong currents that run through the inlet, would give, and the Jaeger would have an exceedingly difficult time just standing up, let alone fighting.</p>
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/51e6fbd169bedd0f6b000074-345-481/screen shot 2013-07-17 at 4.08.26 pm.png" border="0" alt="Pacific Rim Schematic 5" /></p>
<p><strong>3. Oy My Knees!</strong><br /><br />Fishel writes: "No known materials would be able to support the stress of that much activity in the robot, especially in the joints. Consider how many people have knee and hip problems. These joints are under immense pressure in the human body when we're very active. High strength steel alloy has an ultimate strength of 760 MPa (megapascals) and carbon fiber has an ultimate strenght of 6,370 MPa. But if a robot is punching a monster, jumping, and running, the G forces created are big numbers. To show calculations on this would be very confusing (differential equations I haven't done since college). We deisgn for loads of 10 G's [10 times the force of gravity]. For the robot, that's 140 million+ pounds. Just roughly figuring it, the steel would need to be around 3 feet thick. (Please don't quote that cuz I'm not positive.)"</p>
<p>The final takeaway after talking to a real-life engineer? Just like you'd expect, the real-world physics of a functioning Jaeger don't really hold up. But don't see these as reasons why one couldn't exist. See these as reasons for the next generation of well-meaning, enthusiastic nerds to head to college and overcome the problems of extreme tensile stress, limited mobile power supplies, and how exactly you make a 7,080 ton robot walk in what would basically be quicksand to them. Then, maybe, our grandkids' grandkids will have the privelege of seeing one of these man-made monsters level a city block. Dream big, kids!</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pacific-rim-not-scientifically-possible-2013-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/stuff-we-love-impossible-instant-lab-2012-10The Impossible Instant Lab iPhone Photo Printerhttp://www.businessinsider.com/stuff-we-love-impossible-instant-lab-2012-10
Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:47:00 -0400Megan Willett
<p>This is the <a href="http://www.the-impossible-project.com/projects/camera/iil" target="_blank">Impossible Instant Lab</a>, an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/iphone" class="hidden_link">iPhone</a> photo printer created by the company <strong>Impossible</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>Why We Love It: </strong>This crazy device actually turns your phone photos into <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/instagram">Instagram</a> photos IRL (in real life).<strong></strong></p>
<p>Just hook the printer up to your iPhone and select an image. The device will expose the image using light from the display. When you're ready to print, close the exposure and hit a button<span class="st">&mdash;</span>and your photo will appear on Polaroid-style film. It's really that simple.<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p>Even better, the collapsible design makes it portable, and it has a built-in battery that can handle processing 150 pics all on one charge.</p>
<p>The printer is compatible with film for Polaroid 600 and SX 70 cameras, as well as the iPhone 4/4S and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/iphone-5" class="hidden_link">iPhone 5</a>.</p>
<p>Impossible was founded by a group of former Polaroid employees, so we know they're passionate<span class="st">&mdash;</span>and serious<span class="st">&mdash;</span>about photography.</p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/506a03d6ecad041961000024-699-523/impossible.jpg?maxX=618&amp;maxY=463" border="0" alt="impossible" width="618" height="463" /></p>
<p><strong>Cost:</strong> Prices vary from $149 for the Basic Silver Edition to $2,000 for the Gold Edition, which includes personal engraving and 10 film packs.</p>
<p><strong>Buy It Here:</strong> Head over to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/impossible/impossible-instant-lab-turn-iphone-images-into-rea" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> where you can pledge a dollar amount to help the Impossible Instant Lab get into stores. There are eight different pledge amounts available and each one will buy you your very own Impossible Instant Lab. See more details at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/kickstarter" class="hidden_link">Kickstarter</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/506a03fb69bedd536d00000a-700-524/impossible.jpg" border="0" alt="impossible" width="618" height="463" /></p>
<p><iframe width="618" height="373" frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lYLRwyo1w0c?feature=player_detailpage"></iframe></p>
<p><em>Want to nominate a cool product for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/stuff-we-love">Stuff We Love</a>? Send an email to Megan Willett at <a href="mailto:mwillett@businessinsider.com">mwillett@businessinsider.com</a> with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.</em></p>
<h2><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/clear-blue-hawaii-napali-kayak-2012-9">Now check out the Napali single passenger foldable kayak &gt;</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stuff-we-love-impossible-instant-lab-2012-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>